chum C2+ Topic:People & Society US /tʃʌm/ UK /tʃʌm/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like sum /tʃ/ vs /s/ Meanings 1 noun a close friend; (verb) to bait water with fish remains to attract fish He met up with an old chum from his school days. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a close friend; (verb) to... friendpalbuddymatecompanioncomradecrony ↔ Opposites enemystrangerfoe Word family Derived forms chummy Etymology AI details Late-17th-century university slang, probably a shortening of chamber-fellow ('roommate'). The fishing sense ('bait of fish parts') is of separate, uncertain origin. Topics People & Society External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # chum **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /tʃʌm/ **IPA (UK):** /tʃʌm/ ## Meanings 1. a close friend; (verb) to bait water with fish remains to attract fish ## Examples - He met up with an old chum from his school days. ## Synonyms - friend - pal - buddy - mate - companion - comrade - crony ## Antonyms - enemy - stranger - foe ## Derived Forms - chummy ## Etymology Late-17th-century university slang, probably a shortening of chamber-fellow ('roommate'). The fishing sense ('bait of fish parts') is of separate, uncertain origin. ## AI Etymology Chum is late-17th-century university slang, probably a shortening of chamber-fellow ('roommate'). The fishing sense ('bait of fish parts') is of separate, uncertain origin. In present-day use, it means a close friend; (verb) to bait water with fish remains to attract fish. Derived formations include chummy. ## Topics - People & Society markdown